A Shot of Gadge
by shansey21
Summary: A collection of different Gadge one-shots.
1. The Boy Next Door

A/N: This is a story originally posted from my tumblr, and I decided to post it on here as well. Enjoy!

* * *

Part 1: Madge's POV

When I was seven, a new family moved next door.

I have always been an only child and I lived in a neighborhood full of children who were either too old or too young to play with me. This made me a pretty lonely little girl.

As I peeked out of the window, I watched the new family hop out of their red minivan.

"Please be a girl, please be a girl," I whispered to myself.

I frowned as I saw a boy around my age jumping out of the car, followed by two smaller boys.

 _So no girls_ , I thought to myself, slightly disappointed.

The mom was heavily pregnant and the dad was helping her out of the car.

My mother was baking cookies in the kitchen for the new neighbors. The sweet aroma was filling up the whole house and I felt my mouth drool.

"Just hand these to them and introduce yourself," she had told me.

I reluctantly walked over, the summer heat blazing down on me. The cicadas buzzed in the muggy air and I heard some shouts coming from the house next door.

"Hey! Who are you?" one boy asked.

I blushed with embarrassment and looked down at the Tupperware of cookies. "I have cookies…my mom wanted me to give them to you."

"Cookies!" the smallest boy yelled, running towards me. "Gimme!"

The boy looked up at me expectedly. He was probably around three or four.

"Be nice, Vick."

I looked up to see the boy around my age making his way towards me. He had messy brown hair and a stern look towards his youngest brother. The little boy, Vick, slowly stepped away from me with a pout on his face.

"Hi, I'm Gale."

* * *

"So you'll still talk to me, right? Not ditch me for the cool high schoolers?"

We were sitting at the edge of the dock, both sunburnt from the long day at my family's lake house. I rubbed a finger on the wood, avoiding his eyes. He was silent for a moment before nudging me on the shoulder. Before I fell into the lake, I quickly regained my balance.

"Hey!" I yelled, nudging him back even harder.

"Madge, we've been best friends since I was eight. Why would I stop now?" he said. He laughed lightly before adding, "Despite how annoying you may be at times."

I smiled a little and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears. I was suddenly embarrassed that I even asked him the question in the first place, but it had been bugging me all summer. School was starting next week and I was dreading it.

He wrapped his arm around me, despite my slight protest.

"I know you'll miss me, Madge. I mean, it's _me_." I rolled my eyes but he continued. "But I'll still be next door. Posy is still crazy about you and you know my mom still expects you for dinner every Tuesday."

"Yeah yeah," I muttered, pulling myself away from him and standing up. Gale remained where he was so I reached out a hand to help him up. He stared at it before a wide grin slowly spread across his face. I realized what he was thinking but before I could pull it away, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the water.

As I broke out of the surface, spitting out the water that had forced its way into my mouth, I lunged after him as he was wiping the water away from his face and laughing.

* * *

I was sitting on Gale's porch, Posy by my side as usual.

I let out a sigh and fell back onto the porch, staring up at the wooden ceiling. Posy did the same.

"Are you mad, Madge?" her little voice asked.

I shook my head and looked at her. "No, but I will be if your brother doesn't show his face in five minutes."

The little girl giggled as she snuggled up to my side. After a few minutes, I heard a car pull over and saw Gale step out and turn around to talk to the driver. He had his hand resting on the roof of the small car and his duffel bag hanging over his shoulder. He patted the car a few times before closing the door and waving goodbye. His grin faltered once he spotted me and his grip on the bag loosened, causing it to fall onto the floor. The sound seemed to have snapped him out of the daze and he quickly picked it back up, breaking out into a small jog as he made his way towards us.

"Gale!" Posy yelled, "You're late and Madge is mad and it's _your_ fault!"

The little girl placed her hand on her small hips and glared at her older brother.

"Aw, Pose, aren't you suppose to be on _my_ side?" Gale joked, warily glancing at me. "Look Madge, I know I forgot. I'm sorry! I was just hanging out with Katniss after practice and lost track of time."

I huffed and rolled my eyes before telling Posy to go inside for a second. She looked up at me dejectedly but ran back in.

"I wouldn't be this upset if this was your first time blowing me off, but this is your _fifth_ time! You know how much I wanted you to come to my art show."

I sat back down on the porch and focused on the ground. I felt Gale taking a seat beside me, dropping his bag on the steps and placing an arm around my shoulders.

He looked at me with those eyes he knew I could never be angry at and a small pout. "I'm sorry, Madgey."

He knew how much I hated that little nickname and I tried to shove him away but his grip on me only tightened. His gaze turned serious and he gently took a hold of my chin and made me face him.

"I really am sorry. You have every right to be mad at me."

I stared at him for a moment, knowing full well that he meant it. I let out a defeated sigh and rested my head on his shoulder. The contact made him relax and he ruffled his hair with his other hand.

"So…where's the winning piece anyway?" he asked, staring down at me.

"How do you know I even won?"

He continued to look at me with a smug smile and I let out a small laugh.

"It's inside."

* * *

When I was sixteen, Peeta's older brother asked me out on a date. It was the first time a boy had ever taken interest to me and I was a bit nervous when I told him yes.

"You're going out with _Griffith Mellark?_ " Gale turned from his computer and stared at me. We were both in his room and I was sitting on his bed. I knew that the two of them didn't have the best relationship. "You _know_ how I feel about him, Madge."

I grabbed a pillow and hugged it to my chest. "I know…but he was _sweet_ Gale. I mean, really. He was all nervous when he was asking me out…it was… _cute_."

Gale continued to look at me with a blank face. "Cute?"

He then let out a barking laugh and was wiping away the tears in his eyes.

"That was a good one," he said once he managed to calm down. "Griffith Mellark is _not_ cute. He is an asshole."

I tried control the bubbling anger rising inside of me. I never once said anything about any of the girls Gale had hooked up with, and the one time I tell him about a boy, he gets _mad_ and _sarcastic_. Two of the traits I despise the most about him.

I threw the pillow down and stood up.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you but I don't really _care_ what you think. I'm going on a date with Griffith whether you like it or not."

I began to walk out his room but his hand grabbed my wrist.

"Look, I'm just worried okay? I don't want him to hurt you," he said before muttering under his breath, "And besides, we both know you're not too experienced with the whole dating thing."

Gale knew how insecure I felt about dating guys and the fact that he mentioned it caused the anger inside of me to finally bubble over and I shoved him away.

"You know what? Griffith is not the one who's an asshole. _You_ are."

I left his room and he didn't stop me this time.

* * *

"This was really fun," I said, taking off my seatbelt. I glanced out the window and noticed that Gale's room light was on. I looked away and instead stared at the boy sitting in the driver's seat.

He turned off the ignition and smiled at me. "I'm glad you had fun. I was hoping we could do it again."

I blushed and nodded my head. I saw that he was playing with his keys and a slight blush was also on his face. He slowly leaned in towards me and I didn't move away. Before I knew it, his soft lips were on mine and my eyes were still open in shock. As he began to move his mouth, I slowly closed my eyes and leaned into him.

He pulled back, his lips a bit swollen and he was breathing heavily. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and I realized I felt a bit lightheaded.

Who knew kissing could make you so dizzy.

He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's almost ten."

I glanced at the clock and widened my eyes. My parents were a bit lenient about many things, but my curfew was not one of them. "Oh, right. I should go."

He continued to look at me and nodded slowly in agreement.

I had seven minutes left and I knew that one more minute wouldn't hurt so before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned back in and kissed Griffith one last time. He grabbed the side of my head and pulled me in closer and I smiled into the kiss.

It was 9:56 when I finally got out of the car and waved goodbye. I glanced back at Gale's room and saw that the room was dark.

* * *

I didn't have many girl friends, and after my first date with Griffith, I wanted to tell someone about it. I went over to Gale's the next day and Hazel opened up the door.

"Hi Mrs. Hawthorne! Is Gale here?"

She nodded and pointed up stairs. "He might still be sleeping though, but I'm sure you could wake him up."

I took the stairs two at a time and opened the door. As expected, he had a pillow over his head and I could hear a light snore coming from under it. I rolled my eyes and jumped onto the bed, laying beside him.

He groaned and pulled the pillow off his head. I took it and placed it under my own head and stared at the ceiling.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice still groggy from sleep.

I grinned and turned so that I was facing him. "My date yesterday…was perfect."

He looked at me and sighed before rubbing a hand over his face.

"I thought you were mad at me," he said, refusing to look at me now. "If I remember correctly, you called me an asshole. Which _by the way_ , I never realized you had such an extensive vocabulary _Madgey_."

I could tell he was still upset about our little argument, but I was in too good of a mood for him to ruin it.

"I'm not mad at you," I sighed before adding, "and I'm sorry I called you…you know. But I was upset that you wouldn't give Griffith a chance, and I was right, He isn't what you think he is. He's charming and sweet and a _great_ kisser."

The last part of my sentence caught his attention and he bolted up.

"So you _did_ kiss him?" he asked in disbelief. "You…you…you can't just go around _kissing_ people Madge!"

I grew hot with anger and sat up. "Last time I checked, you're not my mom and I was _not_ going around kissing people. I kissed my date, whom I like very much, and you have no _right_ to say anything. I don't go yelling at you every time you have _sex_ with a brainless tramp!"

He looked at me, shock and disbelief still plastered onto his face. I was breathless from my outburst and I tried to control my breathing. Awkward silence filled the room, but we were both too stubborn to look away.

It was Gale who finally broke the silence.

"Was he really a great kisser, Madge?"

I raised an eyebrow, confused by his question, but nodded.

He looked away from me and muttered, "he's not."

"How do _you_ know? Have _you_ kissed him?" I asked, "Oh, maybe that's why you're so mad I went on a date with him! Okay, well now everything makes sense!"

I made a move to get off the bed but Gale forcefully grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his bare chest.

"He's _not_ a great kisser."

And before I could stop him, he kissed me.

* * *

Gale's kiss was different from Griffith's.

Kissing Gale was more forceful as his rough lips were moving on top of mine. I remained motionless as he continued to lean towards me, and I gasped as I felt him nibbling on my bottom lips. I found myself falling back onto the bed and Gale rested an arm on the side of my head while his other hand tangled into my hair.

He was urging my mouth open with his tongue and I didn't know if it was the blinding sun shining through the window or his shallow breaths I could feel on my cheek, but I began to close my eyes as well and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

I finally opened my mouth and he slipped his tongue in.

I began to think about my kiss with Griffith, and thinking about him was what finally snapped me out of my thoughts and I placed my hands onto Gale's chest and forcefully pushed him back.

"What are we doing?" I asked, panting. I could still taste him in my mouth.

I had trouble breathing and I saw that Gale was too. His lips were wet, and his hair was wild and I remember running my fingers through them while we kissed just moments before.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words seemed to make its way out. I brushed my fingers through my hair, quickly got off his bed, and ran out of the room.


	2. The Girl Next Door

A/N: Continuation of Boy Next Door.

* * *

Part 2: Gale's POV

When I was eight, I moved from my hometown and into a new city.

"It's time for a new change of scenery, don't you think bud?" My dad said when he broke the news.

In reality, I knew that it was because of money trouble. Even my little eight year old self could figure out that much. Seeing my parents stress over the bills, plus a new baby on the way? It was just getting too difficult.

It was the middle of summer, and as soon as we all got out of the car, I could feel sweat already beginning to form on my upper lip. I wiped it off with my arm and raised a hand to shield my eyes from the sun. I looked up at the house and sighed. It was my first time at a new city and a new school, but I knew I had to put up a brave front for Rory and Vick.

"It's great, honey," my mom said to my dad. She was unconsciously rubbing her protruding belly and my dad kissed her cheek before waving at the mover's truck that had just arrived.

Rory and Vick were playing with a soccer ball and I went inside to check out the inside of the house. It seemed bigger once I stepped inside, but maybe it was because there was no furniture yet.

"Cookies!"

I turned my head to the sound of Vick's voice and headed back outside. That's when I first saw her. Her blonde hair was braided back and she was holding a container full of cookies. Vick had his hand out, waiting for her to hand them to him.

"Be nice, Vick," I said, making my way towards them. He gave me a sad pout before stepping away. The girl remained frozen, and held onto the container with a tight grip.

I gave her a small smile, "Hi, I'm Gale."

She looked at the cookies and slowly handed them over to me.

"I'm Madge. Madge Undersee."

Who knew that would be the start of everything?

* * *

High school was like a whole new world, filled with new people, opportunities, and most importantly, new girls.

Well, at least that's what fifteen year old Gale thought.

I had my first kiss with Susanne Patterson. She was a beautiful brunette with bright blue eyes, and who also happened to be one year older than me. After that, other girls seemed impressed that an older, hotter girl took interest in me, and well, as one would expect from a horny teenager, my hormones took over.

When Madge finally entered high school, she didn't expect other girls to see her as a threat. She didn't understand why at first, until she caught me making out with Glimmer Caldwell under the bleachers.

She let out a shocked gasp, covered her eyes with her textbook, and apologized before running away.

I apologized to Glimmer and ran after Madge. She was leaning against the wall, and trying to catch her breath. I could see her red face covered behind her hair and slowed to a walk. She heard my footsteps approaching her and turned around with wide eyes.

"I…I'm sorry Gale, I didn't know that you'd be with a girl. Your friend said you'd be here," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I groaned and rubbed my face with one hand. "No I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that. I mean, unless you have a secret desire to see my tongue down some other girl's throat."

Madge flinched at the idea and quickly shook her head. I let out a light laugh and took her books from her.

"So that's why all the girls have been glaring at me, huh? They think we're…an item or something," she said, a breath of relief. "I thought it was something I _did_."

I put an arm around her and let out another laugh. "Is that such a bad thing?"

As we entered the building, Madge slipped out from under my arm and said that we shouldn't do that anymore.

"I don't want people getting any ideas."

* * *

When I was seventeen, I had my first beer. I was at Cato Richmore's house party and Johanna had invited me.

"It's the biggest party of the year!" she had said, and I reluctantly agreed to go.

It was about 8 o' clock and the party had just started in full swing. A couple of guys from the lacrosse team brought in kegs of beer and Cato had hired a DJ for the night.

 _He really does go all out_ , I thought to myself.

Johanna shoved a cup of beer into my face. "Here, have one."

I looked at it for a moment before swigging the whole thing back. The bitter taste burned my throat but I forced myself to keep it down. After that, the taste didn't bother me as much anymore and I could already feel a light buzz in my head as I danced with a few girls.

My phone vibrated and I looked to see that it was Madge. I contemplated for a moment before deciding to turn my phone off for the rest of the night. Madge would understand.

Well into the night, I could feel myself transitioning from slightly buzzed to full on drunk and before I knew it, I was making out with Johanna in one of the house's many rooms.

Johanna and I had a complicated relationship one could say. She was fun to hang around with, but when it came to personal stuff, I always went to Madge. We would kiss sometimes, and fool around but who knew that after a few drinks—okay, a lot of drinks—we would find ourselves in this predicament.

I had my shirt off and Johanna was only in her bra and underwear. She grinned as she unbuckled my belt and pulled down my pants before wrapping her arms around my neck. She crashed her lips onto mine and I lifted her up and onto the bed. I unclasped her bra and she placed my hand onto one of her breasts.

I was seventeen, a virgin, and a girl was letting me fondle her breasts. Needless to say, I was very excited at this point, despite my slightly tipsy state. Johanna raised her brows amusedly as she could…feel my excitement as well.

That was a night of many firsts.

First time trying beer, first time having sex, and first time ignoring Madge.

* * *

"You know, the point of the game is to throw the ball to your team member, Hawthorne. Red is us, white is them!"

I glared at my blonde team member, who was taking off his jersey and throwing it on the ground.

"Well I don't know what I was thinking tonight when I decided to throw the ball to you, when you fumbled it _every damn time_ ," I said through my gritted teeth.

Griffith stood up from the bench and walked towards me, a vein popping from the side of his neck.

"And if _you_ were able to throw properly, maybe I'd be able to catch it!"

I gave him a slight shove and he pushed me back even harder. I raised my fist to swing at him but I felt a strong hand pulling me back. I growled and turned around but instantly dropped my raised arm.

"Coach."

"You guys _both_ sucked tonight and need to realize that you guys are _both_ in the same _damn_ team!"

I lowered my head and clenched my fists. Griffith stepped away from me with a final sneer and grabbed a towel before storming into the showers. Once coach left, I finally released my anger and punched the locker door, ignoring the throbbing sensation afterwards.

As soon as I left the locker room, I was hit with a blast of cold air. It was the beginning of December and the winter here was pretty harsh. I shoved my throbbing hand into my coat pocket and threw my duffel bag over my shoulder.

I saw a small silhouette leaning against a tree. She was blowing hot air into her hands and rubbing them for some warmth. On her blonde head was a light blue beanie and I broke out into a wide grin.

"You came!" I yelled, breaking out into a light jog.

Madge looked up, her nose slightly pink from the cold and gave a small wave.

I dropped my bag and grabbed her hands, trying to transfer some of my warmth into hers. "You could have just waited back at my house. It's freezing out here!"

"Yeah, I know. But I know how upset you get after you lose a game, and I wanted to make sure you were-" her voice trailed off as her eyes noticed my red hand.

"Your hand!"

Madge turned it over to examine it and I rolled my eyes. "It's not a big deal. It'll be fine with some ice."

She gave me a concerned look before lightly running her fingers over my bruised knuckle. I flinched slightly, and she gave me a knowing look. "It's alright you said?"

I slipped my hand out of her hold and picked up my forgotten bag.

"Just forget it, alright?" I pulled her into my arms, knowing that she couldn't handle the cold as well as me. "Look, I'll let you go all Dr. Madge on me later, alright? I'll drive you home."

She let out a defeated sigh and pressed her body closer to mine. "Well you better drive me home because I'm definitely not walking."

* * *

When I was eighteen, my whole life changed.

I was in love with Madge.

It took ten years and Griffith fucking Mellark to help me realize that.

When Madge told me he had asked her out, I was furious. That smug bastard knew how close we were and somehow smuggled his way into her innocent little heart. He sweet-talked her into a date and she somehow agreed to the damn thing.

She had never cursed at me, ever, and so when she called me an asshole and stormed out of my room, I knew she was truly mad at me.

He was going to use her and dump her, just to get under my skin. Poor Madge couldn't see that. She had always been shy around guys and I didn't want Griffith Mellark to be the one that broke her heart.

I locked myself up in my room, knowing full well that if I left the house I would do something that I would regret. I paced back and forth wondering what they were doing and found myself checking the clock every five minutes.

When I saw the headlights shining through my window, I knew that she was back. I peeked outside and saw her blonde head inside of his car. I didn't have to see his damn face to know that he was probably sweet-talking her again.

"Get out Madge…get out," I muttered to myself.

My eyes widened when I saw Griffith's body leaning towards hers.

There was only one thing they could've been doing. My thoughts were confirmed by the way Madge pressed her body closer to that bastard's and I could see his hand resting on her waist.

It shouldn't be him kissing her. He…he didn't deserve her. As cliché as it sounds, Madge is just…too good for him. She's filled with all this goodness and someone like Griffith Mellark didn't deserve that.

I looked at my clock and saw that it was five minutes before her curfew. She may have made a stupid mistake and decided to make out with Griffith fucking Mellark, but she wouldn't be stupid enough to break her curfew.

I decided that I had seen enough of their snog fest and turned off my lights. I fell onto my bed but my mind was in Madge overload.

Seeing another guy kiss her released an anger inside of me I had never felt before. An anger stronger than the one I had felt when I found Glimmer making out with some guy in the baseball team while we were going out. An anger worse than the one I had felt when I caught Rory smoking weed at the school parking lot.

I felt my heart speed up and my throat burn as I quickly sat up.

I never wanted to see Madge with another guy. I never wanted her lips to be on some other bastard's lips and I didn't want some other guys hands all over Madge's body.

I wanted it to be me.

I wanted to be the one sitting in that car, feeling her lips against mine and if Madge ever broke her curfew, I wanted it to be because of me.

"I love her," I whispered into my dark room.

Damn.

* * *

I don't know how I fell asleep, but I did despite the fact that the night before I had realized that I was in love with my best friend.

I felt someone get on my bed and lay down beside me. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the pillow off my head and saw the one person who had filled my thoughts the night before staring up at my ceiling. On my bed. In my room.

"Why are you here?"

She turned to her side and looked at me, her blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "My date yesterday…was perfect."

I stared at her, noticing the silly grin plastered onto her face. I breathed in and slowly let the air out.

"I thought you were mad at me," I said, gritting my teeth together. "If I remember correctly, you called me an asshole. Which _by the way_ , I never realized you had such an extensive vocabulary _Madgey_."

It wasn't until she sat up and mentioned that the bastard was a "great kisser" that I fully snapped out of my sleep daze and bolted up.

"So you _did_ kiss him?" My assumptions from the night before were correct. "You…you…you can't just go around _kissing_ people Madge!"

I could see the anger taking over and her silly grin was now long gone. "Last time I checked, you're not my mom and I was _not_ going around kissing people. I kissed my date, whom I like very much, and you have no _right_ to say anything. I don't go yelling at you every time you have _sex_ with a brainless tramp!"

I was still angry over the fact that she not only admitted to kissing Mellark the night before, but also that he was apparently fucking _great_ at it.

The words that slipped out of me and finally broke the silence were words I would never be able to take back. "Was he really a great kisser, Madge?"

She looked confused, not expecting my sudden question and nodded.

I felt the anger I had felt the night before rising again and muttered, "he's not."

Madge started another angry fit about why I hate Griffith and she even had the audacity to joke about me _liking_ the bastard. I snapped out of my angry thoughts when I felt the bed shift and looked up to see her getting off the bed. I quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me.

"He's not a great kisser."

And before I could even stop myself, I crashed my lips onto hers.

* * *

Kissing Madge was nothing like I thought it would be like.

It wasn't like my first kiss with Susanne Patterson.

It wasn't like my drunken kisses with Jo.

And it definitely wasn't like the saliva filled make out sessions under the bleachers.

Madge's kiss was sweet.

It made my heart flutter and my head was filled with fireworks.

I could feel her stillness but I needed her to understand.

I moved my lips against hers, begging for entry into her mouth.

She had pancakes for breakfast—I could taste the syrup and it made me groan. I nibbled on her bottom lips, knowing that I could do this all day as I slowly pushed her down onto my bed. I tangled my fingers into her soft hair and I sighed in relief when I finally felt her open her mouth and respond to my kiss.

 _I really could do this all day_ , I thought to myself.

Madge pulled back from the kiss, looking at me with wide eyes filled with shock and realization of what we had just did. I stared at her lips, swollen and pink. She was so damn beautiful.

"What are we doing?"

She was gasping for breath, and I found myself doing the same. My heart was still hammering inside my chest and I opened my mouth to respond but I couldn't collect my thoughts.

She ran a hand through her hair before getting off of my bed and bolting out of my room.

I wanted to run after her.

I really did.

But it wasn't until I heard the slamming of the front door that I finally snapped out of it.

My mind was filled with memories of that perfect kiss.


	3. Phase One

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games!

A/N: Not related to the other stories in this collection.

* * *

Madge didn't know how long she had been sitting in the cafe. Her mind was everywhere and nowhere.

 _This is really happening_.

As Madge took a sip of her coffee, she didn't even realize it had already gone cold.

* * *

It all started two weeks ago.

Gale had brought home her favorite food: Chow Mein, Orange Chicken, and Egg Rolls from the little Chinese restaurant down the corner of their street. As soon as he entered their apartment, the smell permeated the room. Madge leaped off the couch and grabbed the bags from him.

"How'd you know I was starving?" she asked, already taking the boxes out.

Gale threw his coat and keys onto the chair nearby. "Lucky guess."

She gave him a quick kiss before he went to change. Madge walked over to the kitchen and pulled out two plates and silverware, ready to dig in. As she began to load her plate with some chicken, her head began to spin. She sat down and rested her head in her hands and the headache disappeared a few seconds later. Madge shook her head and continued to load her plate.

Gale came out of their room, grinning as he saw Madge stuffing her face. He swiped the egg roll off her place and took a bite.

"Hey!" she yelled, slapping his arm. "That was mine!"

"I know, but yours looked the best," he said, swiftly avoiding another slap.

Madge rolled her eyes and grabbed another egg roll from the box. Before Gale could take hers again, she took a big bite and moaned.

"So good," she sighed. "Have I ever told you that I loved you?"

Gale grinned. "Maybe once or twice."

* * *

The next morning, Madge found herself sitting by the toilet, clutching the seat as if her life depended on it. She felt the nausea filling her head once again and hurled her head over the seat, dispensing all the contents in her stomach. The smell of her own vomit filling the bathroom only made her feel even more sick. Gale had always been a deep sleeper, and he was still sleeping soundly despite the sound of her puking.

Madge wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and groaned. Her mouth tasted sour and bitter. She flushed down the contents and slowly stood up. After brushing her teeth three times, she walked back to the bed. The sun hadn't risen yet, and Madge laid back onto the bed. Gale instinctively reached out for her and she rested her head against his chest.

"So cold," he muttered.

HIs light snores filled the room once again and Madge let the steady rhythm in his chest lull her back to sleep.

* * *

"So I think I got food poisoning from yesterday."

Gale looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. Madge took a sip from her coffee. He finally took note of how her face seemed a bit paler today and saw the dark circles under her eyes.

"From the Chinese food?" he asked.

Madge nodded her head. "I was throwing up all last night and this morning."

Gales brow shot up. "Babe, why didn't you wake me up?"

"It wasn't a big deal," she said. "I mean, while I was vomiting my guts out it felt like hell, but it was fine after. I think I'm going to call in sick today though."

Gale reached over and rubbed his hand alongside her back. "You should've woken me up though. You know how even an earthquake wouldn't wake me up."

Madge laughed and rested a hand onto his knee. They sat in silence for a moment until Gale stopped rubbing her back.

"Wait," he said, his brows furrowing. "I ate the exact same thing as you, and I feel perfectly fine…Are you sure you're feeling okay, Madge? Maybe we should get you checked out."

Madge immediately shook her head. Ever since her mom passed away last year, Madge found herself not being able to step a foot inside a hospital.

"I'm fine Gale," she reassured. "It must be a cold then. I'll be fine after I get some rest."

Gale continued to look at her, worry filling his handsome features. Madge sighed.

"I'm really _fine_ , I promise," she repeated. "And shouldn't you be off to work now? It's almost nine."

Gale looked at his watch and shot up from his seat. "Shit, Haymitch is going to _kill_ me!"

Madge laughed as Gale began to run around their apartment. After finding his bag and coat, Madge handed him a travel mug filled with coffee.

"So you're sure your okay?" he asked one more time.

" _Yes_ Gale. Now go!"

Madge moved towards him to give him a kiss but he pulled back.

"Don't want to get sick," he said with a wink, and slipped out the door laughing.

* * *

"You ready, babe?" Gale's voice echoed down the hall.

"In a minute!" Madge yelled back.

She reached behind and grabbed the zipper of her dress. It would only zip half way.

"Gale, I think I need a little help!"

She tried again but the zipper wouldn't budge. She finally gave up and looked at her reflection.

 _Did I gain weight?_

Madge had bought this dress a month ago and it should still fit. Gale entered the room, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and black pants.

"Can you help me?" she asked, turning her back towards him.

Gale grabbed the zipper and tried his best to pull it up without ripping it.

"It won't budge, babe," he said, already confirming what she knew.

Madge let out a frustrated sigh and sat on the edge of their bed. "I don't understand! I bought this dress a _month_ ago! How can it not fit?"

Gale glanced at his watch, they were already late. "I don't know, Madge but we're running late. Is there anything else you can wear?"

Madge looked up at him, her eyes burning with tears. " _How_ can I find another dress when _this_ was the dress I had picked out! My feet are killing me in these heels, the dress doesn't fit….nothing's going right! Maybe you should go by yourself."

The tears had already begun to ruin her makeup and she angrily swiped it away. Gale stared at her, not knowing what to do. Madge rarely had a tantrum like this, and so Gale just sat beside her and carefully wrapped an arm around her waist.

After calming down, Madge leaned onto Gale's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gale. I don't know what just came over me. I've been feeling like _shit_ the last couple of days and I'm taking it out on you."

Gale rubbed her arm and kissed her forehead. "It's fine. I know this day is important to you."

It was her father's first Christmas party without her mother and Madge had been the one to plan it this year. She had been stressing over it for weeks and everything had to be perfect. After a couple minutes of silence, Gale finally spoke up.

"Madge…I don't want you to be pissed at me but this is kind of important, alright?" he asked carefully.

Madge lifted her head from his shoulder. "What?"

"We're _really_ late at this point," he mentioned, glancing at his watch. "In fact, it started…as of five minutes ago."

Madge shot up off the bed. "What are we going to do, my dad…he never knows what to say in front of a large crowd and he's there by _himself_! This is all my fault! I just _had_ to have a breakdown over this _stupid_ dress that's not even all that important!"

She began to pace back and forth, chastising herself even more. Her dress zipper went down even more with each movement.

"Madge, I think the first step is to figure out what you're going to do about your dress and go from there," Gale suggested.

Madge laughed and grabbed the zipper, pulling it down all the way before slipping out of it. She was now standing clad in a lacy black bra and matching underwear.

Gale's brow shot up as his eyes soaked in the woman standing in front of him. Even though they have been married for six months, Madge still managed to surprise him with how beautiful she was.

Madge noticed Gale's reaction to her undergarments and grinned. "This was supposed to be an early Christmas gift for _after_ the party…"

"You little minx," Gale said, pulling her onto his lap. "How do you expect me to stand beside your _father,_ knowing that under whatever you're wearing, you have _that_ underneath?"

Madge laughed. "It's all about self-control."

* * *

After the party, Gale and Madge took a cab back home. Madge cuddled against Gale as they walked back to their apartment.

"Hey, I have to make a quick stop by the drug store. Need anything?" she asked.

"I'll go with you," Gale replied.

Madge shook her head. "No you don't need to. I'll be quick. You go in first."

She gave him a quick peck onto his cheek and before he could object, quickly walked down the rest of the street.

* * *

The bell dinged as she entered the small store. A middle-aged man stood behind the counter and muttered a greeting before turning his attention back onto his phone.

Madge swiftly walked down the aisle, scanning for the particular item she had needed. She finally spotted it and put it in her basket.

"Will this be all?" the man asked.

Madge nodded.

After handing Madge the bag, she quickly stuffed it inside her purse, and zipped up her coach, bracing herself for the cold winter night.

* * *

When Madge returned home, Gale noticed that she had no bag in hand.

"Did you buy anything?" he asked.

Madge took off her coat and shook her head. "They didn't have what I needed."

"What did you need?"

"Nothing important," she replied. "And besides, don't you have something more important to be curious about?"

She then proceeded to unzip her dress and let it slide smoothly off her body. Gale grinned and scooped her up, causing Madge to scream in surprise. She began to nibble on his neck and shower it with kisses.

Gale gently placed her onto their bed and loosened his tie.

"Best. Gift. Ever," he whispered.

* * *

Gale had his arm hanging loosely around her waist, and his light snores indicated that he was already deep asleep. Madge slowly removed herself from his arms, grabbed her robe, and slipped it on. She then walked to the living room, toward her discarded purse and bent down to retrieve the bag she had stuffed just hours before. With shaky hands, she took out the item and walked towards the bathroom.

* * *

Madge sat on the toilet waiting for the timer on her phone to go off and every minute that passed by felt like an hour. Her phone finally vibrated, and she grabbed the stick on the counter.

It showed two lines.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this one as much as I had writing it! :)


	4. More Than Neighbors

A/N: By popular demand, this is the final installment to the boy next door/girl next door installment. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.

* * *

 _Gale_

When I was ten, I broke my arm.

I was competing with Dax Miller to see who could cross it the fastest. I was in the lead when suddenly, the sweat that had built up on my hands caused me to lose my grip on the next bar. I collapsed onto the ground, feeling a crack on my left wrist. I cried out in pain as I heard Dax yelling at the end of the monkey bars, basking in his win.

I cradled my arm against my chest as I sat on the ground.

"Gale!"

I turned to see Madge running towards me.

I angrily swiped at a tear that had made its down my cheek. At this point, the other kids had huddled around me. Madge knelt down by my side and studied my injured arm.

"Is it broken?" she asked.

"I think so," I replied, wincing as I tried to move my arm.

Madge immediately stood up, and ran towards the other side of the playground. A couple seconds later, our teacher Ms. Trinket came running towards me, Madge following behind her. She grabbed my other arm and helped me to my feet. As Ms. Trinket lectured on about how we should not have been racing on the monkey bars, Madge gave me a reassuring smile and held onto my good hand.

That's how it always was with Madge.

No matter if the problem was big or small, Madge was always there.

* * *

 _Madge_

I had always been good at English.

Writing, reading, analyzing poetry—I loved it all.

During my first year in high school, I was placed in an advanced English class that had students a year older than me. This included Gale.

At first, I loved it. Even though Gale didn't enjoy the class as much as I did, it was the first time we had a class together. I loved that when we needed to partner up, I didn't have to worry about being the only one in class without a partner.

"Undersee is mine," he would always say.

Now, the class was my least favorite of the day.

I had avoided Gale for a week since our kiss. I left fifteen minutes earlier for school, and made sure to park as far away from his truck as I could. I avoided all the halls that I knew he had a class in, and skipped our Tuesday dinner.

The only time I couldn't avoid him was this fourth period English class.

I asked Delly if I could switch seats with her, in which she gladly agreed to. Thom sat on my left while Gale sat on my right, and knowing how Delly had a massive crush on Thom, I didn't have to worry about her saying no. When Gale walked in that day and saw Delly sitting in my seat, he glanced over at me with a raised brow, but didn't say anything as he sat down.

I tried to focus my attention on the book laying on my desk, but I couldn't help but listen to his voice as he greeted Delly.

He didn't look over at me for the rest of the class.

* * *

 _Gale_

When I came back home from a rough day at practice, I saw a familiar white car parked outside of Madge's house. I took note of the familiar Capital U sticker on its bumper and knew that the car belonged to Griffith Mellark.

I glanced over at Madge's bedroom window and saw that the curtains were wide open. I could make out Madge standing in front of it, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

I stared up at the window until Madge moved away.

* * *

 _Madge_

Griffith looked at me with furrowed brows as I awkwardly took a seat on the edge of my bed.

"I don't understand, Madge. I thought you had a good time during our date"

"I did," I said, truly meaning it.

The date with Griffith was great. He was the perfect gentleman. He made sure to open doors for me, pull out my chair during dinner, and even made sure that I made it back home before my curfew. But I didn't want to lie to him. I knew that what I felt while kissing Griffith was nothing compared to what I felt when kissing Gale. I didn't want to continue our relationship, knowing that there was a part of me that had feelings towards someone else.

"I just...I think we'd be better off friends. I'm really sorry Griffith," I apologized.

Griffith stood quietly, refusing to look at me.

"Did Hawthorne say something to you?" he finally asked. "Because if he did, I don't think you should let him influence the way you feel about me."

"Gale? No, he didn't. I know you guys aren't the best of friends but I would never let him influence the way-"

"And honestly? Don't you think this is getting kind of old between you two? You guys aren't together, but you act like it. Hell, the whole school thinks that way too!"

"I don't understand what you're-"

"I mean, when I told the guys I was thinking of asking you out, they thought I was crazy. 'Who would touch Hawthorne's girl?' I didn't listen to them though and I asked you anyway and now, I know exactly what they meant. If you had to pick between Hawthorne or anyone else, it'd always be him!"

"Hawthorne's girl? I'm not _anyone's_ 'girl', alright? I'm just me. And I don't know where you got the idea that this is all because of _Gale_ because it's not. I just feel that our relationship would be better off as _friends_ but now you're making me question that too." I said, anger boiling every part of my body. "I think you should leave."

"If it's not because of _him_ then, why Madge?" he asked again. "We'd be _great_ together. You're best friends with my brother and we've known each other forever-"

" _Please_ , Griffith. I just...I need time okay? Just...leave," I said, finally turning away from.

I heard him let out a frustrated sigh, followed by him collecting his things and shutting the door. I turned and saw that I was finally alone and fell back onto my bed.

* * *

 _Gale_

I dreaded going to practice after school. I was so _tired_ -mentally and physically. With scouts coming in to see me, I had been pushing in more hours in the weight room and without a scholarship offer, there was no _way_ I would be able to goto college. The stress of school on top of the stuff going on with Madge...it was just too much.

Practice today was especially brutal. Mellark sneered at me every chance he got. I finally blew up at him when he tackled me to the ground.

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked, pushing him off of me.

Mellark scoffed. "Why don't you asked _Madge_?" He then proceeded to take off his practice jersey—throwing it onto the ground—and stormed off to the locker room.

I rolled my eyes as I watched him walk away. He always was a drama queen.

* * *

 _Gale_

"POSY!"

I waited for the sounds of her light footsteps and smiled when I heard her groan and make her way towards my room.

"What?" she asked, opening the door in a dramatic fashion.

I sat up on my bed and grinned at her. "Pose, you know I love you, right?"

She looked at me skeptically. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Wow, I'm starting to really miss those days when your world revolved around your big brother Gale," I said with a pout.

She continued to look at me with a blank stare. "I'm going to leave now." She began to slowly close the door.

"Wait alright!" I said, standing up and holding onto the door. "I need a favor."

She raised a brow, signaling for me to go on.

"It's Madge. She's mad at me and I..." I sighed. "I need your help."

With the mention of Madge, Posy straightened up. "Why's she mad at you? Is that why she missed Tuesday dinner last week? What'd you do Gale? Ishould've _known_!"

I ignored her and went on. "Yeah yeah it's my fault. Okay listen, I need you to go over to her house, and get her to come over for dinner tonight. I just...I need to talk to her and she's been ignoring me for almost a _week_ now. You know she can never say no to you."

Posy glared at me, crossing her arms. "I don't know if I should help you because I'm sure that Madge has a good reason to be mad at you."

My shoulders sagged as I saw my only chance fly out the window.

"...but. You're my brother so I'll help. Just this once. And because I miss Madge."

I felt my face break out into a wide grin as I picked up Posy and threw her over my shoulders. "Ugh, what would I do without you Pose!"

I continued to spin her around despite her protests and soon enough, she was laughing along with me.

* * *

 _Madge_

When I opened my front door, I didn't expect to see Posy Hawthorne standing on my porch.

She turned and broke out into a wide smile as she saw me.

"Madge!" she screamed, hugging me tightly. "I missed you! You never come over anymore."

I hugged her back and smiled. I didn't realize how much I had missed her too. I told her to come in and help me finish off the cookies my mom had left and she quickly accepted the invitation.

After pouring her a glass of milk, I finally asked, "So what brings you over here?"

She finished off the cookie in her hand and smiled at me. "I just missed you."

I laughed, taking a seat next to her.

"And well," she finally said. "I want you to come over for dinner tonight. Mom's making lasagna—your favorite."

My smile faltered as I realized I would have to see Gale if I went. "You know Pose, I don't think tonights a really good night..."

"But you _always_ come over for dinner on Tuesdays and you already missed last week and mom's making _lasagna_!" she said with a pout. "And I miss you and you _know_ my brothers don't understand my problems as well as you and I miss talking to you and I just want you to come over for dinner!"

I sighed, staring at the girl next to me. Posy had always been like a little sister to me and seeing her disappointed face killed me.

"I guess I'm not... _too_ busy," I muttered.

The little girl's face squealed as she wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"So what's new with you?" I finally asked.

The smile on Posy's face faltered, causing me to straighten up and raise a brow.

"Well, now that you asked...there's..." she took in a shaky breath. "There's this _boy_."

"A _boy_?"

She nodded her head. "I've never really like-liked a boy before and I don't know what to _do_! And if I told any of my brothers I just _know_ they would freak out and I just...he is so _nice_ , Madge!"

"Well if you like him, what's stopping you?"

Posy's shoulders sagged as she was lost in thought. "I...I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous. What if he doesn't like me back?"

I gasped. "Why _wouldn't_ he? You're the smartest girl in the whole fifth grade, you are an _amazing_ dancer, and you make the _best_ pancakes I've ever tasted in my life. Plus, you have a beautiful smile."

Posy looked at me, her grey eyes so similar to Gale's. "Really? I mean...I'm not the smartest girl in the _whole_ fifth grade..." She smiled. "Just my class."

I laughed and smoothed down her dark hair. "He'll like you. _Trust me_. And in the small chance that he doesn't, it won't be the end of the world because there will be a lot of boys in the future."

"Thanks Madge," Posy said with a relieved smile. "See? This is _exactly_ why you need to come by more often. I _need_ you Madge!"

"I'm sorry, Pose," I said, nibbling on the last cookie. "I'll come over more often from now on."

* * *

 _Gale_

After my mom called for everyone to come down for dinner, I walked down the stairs and almost missed a step when I saw Madge coming in through the front door, Posy tightly grasping onto her arm.

She flashed a smug grin towards me and walked over to the kitchen, leaving me and Madge alone. She avoided my gaze as she shrugged off her cardigan, and I slowly reached the bottom of the stairs.

I scratched the back of my neck and I had forgotten everything I had planned on saying once I saw her.

"Uh, hey!" I said, clasping my hands together. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Madge lifted a hand in greeting but didn't say anything else before making her way towards the kitchen.

"Madge, honey! I'm glad you could make it," I heard my mom say.

Madge's soft voice drifted out into the hallway followed by her laughing at something Pose had said. I groaned and rubbed my face, not knowing how to deal with this awkward situation.

After setting up the table, we all sat down. Rory and Vick were in a heated discussion about some new video game while Posy took up every second of Madge's time. I ate in silence, watching the blonde in front of me.

Her eyes were much bluer than I remember them to be. Were they always that blue? And her lips. I was starting to forget how they felt against mine. But they looked so soft, so pink, so...

I sighed and pushed away my plate.

"I'm not so hungry, ma," I said, much to her protest. I stood up and quickly walked up the stairs and into my room.

I thought that once I could get Madge to come over, it would give me a chance to fix everything. I was wrong.

I fell onto my bed and stared up at my ceiling. I could hear the clattering of dishes and the sounds of Vick and Rory's loud footsteps running up the stairs.

 _Knock knock knock._

"What?" I said, not in the mood to deal with the two.

The door slowly opened and in place of them, was Madge. She looked taken aback by my tone.

"Madge."

* * *

 _Madge_

After clearing up the table, Posy pulled me aside.

"Madge, as much as I love you, I have to tell you something," she said, taking in a breath. "Gale told me to convince you to come over for dinner tonight. He said he _really_ needed to talk to you."

I looked up and noted Gale's closed door.

"I think you should go talk to him," she urged.

I told her I would and slowly made my way up the staircase. Rory and Vick quickly ran past me and I watched as they quickly went back into their room to continue playing their new video game. I finally stopped in front of Gale's door and took in a deep breath.

 _Knock knock knock_.

"What?" Gale's voice yelled out.

I opened the door and saw him laying on his bed. He immediately sat up when he saw me standing there.

"Madge," he muttered. "I...what are you doing here?"

I slowly walked in, shutting the door behind me. "Posy said you wanted to talk."

He stood up and and crossed his arms. "Yeah, um. I...I wanted to talk to you about...what happened."

"What happened exactly?" I asked, feeling my face heat up.

"You _know_ what happened" he said. "The _kiss_."

I closed my eyes as the kiss replayed in my head—his warm body pressed against mine, his soft lips.

"I don't regret it," he admitted.

I gasped, finally looking at him. His grey eyes were on me as he took a step closer to me.

"Do you?" he asked, taking another step.

We were one step away from each other. I could feel his body heat radiating against my chest and I felt my lips moving before I could stop them.

"No."

* * *

 _Gale_

Several things happened at once.

I took the last step standing between us and before I lost the courage, I kissed her.

She kissed me back.

I groaned as I breathed in the smell of her lavender soap. I grabbed onto her waist and sat down on my bed, pulling her onto my lap . As her lips moved against mine, I forgot about everything that I had been worried about before. All I wanted to do for the rest of my life was _this_.

Then Posy opened the door.

We quickly pulled apart and Madge wiped her lips, trying to hide the blush creeping onto her face.

"Pose!"

I quickly stood up and pulled her inside before shutting the door.

"I knew it," she whispered. "I KNEW IT!"

She then began to laugh as Madge and I exchanged worried glances.

"Are you guys going to get married now?" she asked, her eyes wide in anticipation.

* * *

 _Madge_

It took Gale a great amount of time to persuade Posy to keep what she saw a secret, and an even greater amount of time to persuade her to leave.

"But why do I have to leave? So you guys can _kiss_?" she asked with a pout.

"Posy, please, I'm begging you," Gale said, almost resorting to picking the little girl up and carrying her out himself.

After much protest and a promise to take her out to get ice cream later, she finally left.

I laughed and hid my face behind his pillow. "I can't believe she saw."

Gale crawled back onto the bed and pulled me towards him. I rested my head against his chest, fully content on staying like this and hearing his heartbeat.

"So...what does this mean?" he finally asked. "I don't think things can go back to how it was before, do you?"

I shook my head and raised my head to look at him. "I don't."

After a moment of silence, Gale asked the question I'd been dreading.

"What about things with Mellark? I saw his car at your place a couple of days ago..."

I told him about what had happened and that I told Griffith that we were better off as friends. I could feel Gale's body tense after I told him about the part where Griffith blamed him on my decision.

"Why did you ignore me?" he asked.

I stared at his chest, thinking of what to say.

"I...I was scared," I finally admitted. "The kiss happened so suddenly and I was confused about how I felt towards you."

"And how do you feel about me?" he asked, holding in his breath.

I pulled away from his hold. "I kissed you back did I not?"

His face broke out into a wide grin and he pulled me towards him again. "I _missed_ you. Last week was hell without you."

"I missed you too," I muttered against his chest.

I felt him stroking my hair and I lost track of how long we held each other in silence. I felt my self dozing in and out of sleep and when I fully opened my eyes, I saw that the clock by his bed read 10:24.

"Gale!" I yelled, quickly sitting up. "My parents are going to kill me!"

I scrambled out of his bed and straightened out my clothes and hair. Gale glanced at the clock and smiled.

" _How_ can you be smiling about this? My parents may like you but you know how strict they are about curfew," I said, putting on my shoes.

He continued to smile at me as he sat up and hugged a pillow against his chest. "You broke your curfew."

"I can _see_ that, Gale. Thanks for reminding me," I said, peeking out his window to see if anyone was home. I groaned as I saw the light from my parent's bedroom shining through their window—they were awake. "I have to go."

Gale got off his bed and walked over to me. "You broke your curfew. For me." The grin on his face widened as he continued to stare down at me.

"I didn't break it _for_ you. I didn't even know I'd be here this long and I don't know how time went by so _fast_ and my parents are going to kill me-"

Gale's lips crashed onto mine and I found myself leaning against the door as he continued to move his lips against mine. When he pulled away, he was still smiling, despite my current predicament.

That's how it always was with Gale.

No matter what the situation was, once he flashed me a smile, I always found myself smiling along with him.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this! I didn't want the shift in perspectives to get confusing so I hope that adding their names in the beginning of each shift helped! I'm actually working on a multi-chapter Gadge story right now, so be on the look out for that as well! Much love, Shan


	5. The Best Decision

A/N: Another one-shot, yay!

* * *

Gale bought the ring the second month they had started dating.

The problem now was _when_ he would actually propose.

As cliche as it may sound, Gale knew Madge was the one for him the first day he saw her.

It was a regular Tuesday afternoon and for some reason, Gale decided he would hit the library that day. He had two exams coming up that week and unfortunately, he had decided to start studying now.

Gale never really went to the library—too much people and too much silence. So when he went inside the large building, he was at a complete loss. He stopped by the front desk and tapped on the counter as he waited for someone to come by.

"Hi, how can I help you?" a voice asked.

Gale looked up and his mind went completely blank. Standing in front of him was _the_ most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her eyes...they were so _blue_ and her hair, he just wanted to run his fingers through it.

"Um...do you need help with anything?" she asked again.

"Uh, yes," Gale glanced at her name tag and gave her a charming grin. "...Madge. I need you to help me find a book."

Gale stopped by the library more often that week.

She was always there.

It was two weeks later that Gale finally got enough courage to ask her out.

"So...I'm sure you don't work here _all_ day. Wanna grab some coffee or something? My treat," he offered.

Madge bit her lip and glanced at her watch. "I really wish I could, but today's not a good day."

Gale's shoulder sagged and he wished he could fall inside a deep hole and never come back.

"...but maybe tomorrow?"

Gale's head jerked up and the widest grin spread across his face.

"I'll see you at 5."

* * *

It took three dates with Madge for Gale to realize he loved her.

Now, the thing with Gale was that he was never one to have a serious relationship with a girl. But with Madge, all he wanted to do was listen to her talk, to hear her goals and dreams, to see the look in her eyes when she talks about something she loves.

Gale would rest his chin on his hands as he stared at her across the table.

"Sorry," she blushed. "I tend to ramble."

"No, it's fine. I love it."

* * *

When he kissed Madge for the first time, Gale thought his head would explode. Her lips were as soft as he imagined them to be and she tasted so... _sweet_. When they finally pulled apart, much to Gale's dismay, her lips were red and swollen and she was gasping for air.

Gale smiled as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink. He couldn't resist and grabbed her head, crashing his lips on hers once again.

* * *

It was six months after they had started dating that Gale knew something was wrong.

Madge had texted him earlier that day.

 _We need to talk_.

Gale had been thinking about the text all day. He couldn't seem to focus during his lectures and all he could think about was what Madge needed to tell him.

When he arrived at their usual coffee shop at 6, Madge was already at their usual table. Her hands were clasped together and she seemed to be lost in thought.

Gale ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath of air before entering the building. Madge's head jerked towards his direction and she straightened up in her seat.

"Hey babe," he kissed her on the cheek before sitting down.

"Hi Gale," she said softly.

Gale played with his fingers and finally looked up at her. She was biting the bottom of her lip—she was nervous.

"What did you have to tell me?" he finally asked.

Madge stayed silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I got an internship."

Gale's brow rose and he let out a shaky breath. "That's great! You scared me a bit, I thought it would be bad news."

"It's in Seattle."

Gale's smile faltered a bit.

 _Seattle? Seattle was across the country_.

"I accepted it," Madge said. "It's a great opportunity for me and the company is practically my _dream job_ and they chose me out of a hundred candidates. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Gale stared at his lap as he processed what she had said.

"For how long?"

"Seven months."

 _Seven months_.

Gale rubbed his face and took in a deep breath. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and Gale's heart felt like it was plummeting down his whole body.

"We can work through it," he finally said. "I can come visit you when I have breaks and...we'll make it work."

Madge's lips quivered but she nodded. He reached over and grasped her hand.

"I love you."

The three words slipped out before he even realized it. He had been in love with her for a while now, but this was the first time he had actually said it out loud.

Madge's eyes widened but a grin spread across her face.

"I love you too."

* * *

Gale stopped by her apartment and saw that almost everything was packed away in boxes, ready for storage. She had two suitcases filled with clothes and other items ready to go.

She was leaving today.

Gale offered to drop her off at the airport, but Madge said that her parents would instead. He told her he would stop by the morning before she had to head out and she was nowhere to be seen. He stood in the middle of the nearly empty living room fiddling with the box in his pocket.

"Gale! You're early," Madge said, walking towards him. "I brought coffee."

He grabbed the cup from her and leaned down to give her a kiss. He wanted to savor every memory of her lips.

"The storage guys should be here in about half an hour," she said, looking down at her watch. "And my parents should get here in about an hour."

"Everything's happening so fast," Gale stated. "i'm going to miss you."

Madge put down her coffee and wrapped her arms around Gale's waist. "We said we wouldn't do this." Her voice shook with every word and he could feel the front of his shirt getting wet.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, smoothing down her hair.

"I love you," she whispered, giving him a soft kiss on his neck.

Gale's heart began to hammer inside his chest and he shut his eyes as he finally said the two words he had wanted to say months ago.

"Marry me."

Madge's breath hitched as she pulled away from him. "What?"

"Marry me," he repeated, staring down at her.

"Gale...I know that this separation will be hard but...that doesn't mean we need to _rush_ things. I mean, we're only 23. We haven't even _graduated_ yet." She began to laugh. "And I don't want you to feel as if we need to get married to ensure that we would stay together. I _know_ that we'll get through this."

"Madge," Gale said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I bought the ring _months_ ago." He pulled out the velvet box from his pocket. "I knew I wanted to marry you after our third date. And I know I may sound crazy, but I love you. I've never felt this way about _anyone_ until I met you."

Tears began to fall down Madge's cheeks and Gale swiped them away with his thumb.

" _I love you_ ," he said, emphasizing each word.

Madge let out a shaky laugh. "Okay."

She said it so softly, Gale wasn't sure she had said it until she grabbed his neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss. "I love you."

Gale let out a booming laugh and picked her up in a tight embrace. With shaky hands, he took out the ring and placed it on her left finger.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, admiring the simple silver ring on her finger.

"Gale, are you _really_ sure about this?" she asked once again. "I mean, this is _crazy_! I'm going to be in Seattle in five hours and we're _engaged_! Wow, that sounds weird. _Engaged_."

"I love it," he said with a laugh. "I'm one hundred and ten percent sure. Ever since I saw you in the library that day. And I know this is all crazy, and I know that we're young, but I believe in _us_. I love you so much."

Madge couldn't believe this was happening and all she could do was wrap her arms around his waist once again.

* * *

It took Gale three dates to realize he loved her.

It took two months for him to buy the ring.

It took one day for him to realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

One and a half years later, Gale Hawthorne stood at the end of the alter knowing that no matter how fast things had moved between them, no matter how young they were, Madge Undersee was the best decision he had ever made.

* * *

A/N: *shields eyes* so much fluff. I needed some fluff in my life. Hope you enjoyed!


	6. Value Me

A/N: this was for a tumblr prompt "value me"! Enjoy :)

* * *

Gale was never one to be vocal about his feelings.

In fact, he had only told Madge he loved her three times.

But Madge didn't need Gale to tell her he loved her.

She knew it in the way he would play with her hair as they watched tv.

She knew it in the way he would force himself to eat dinner with her father, no matter how much they didn't get along.

She knew it in the way he would laugh at her jokes, even though they weren't funny at all.

She knew it in the way he cried when she told him she was pregnant.

She knew it in the way he would wrap his arms around her when she would have one of her bad days.

She knew it in the way he stroked her hair as she drifted off to sleep.

She knew it in the way he kissed her as they made love.

Madge didn't need Gale to tell her he loved her.

In his own way, he tells her everyday.

* * *

A/N: I wrote this quickly on my phone so excuse any mistakes! Xo, shan


	7. Legally Blonde Pt 1

tumblr user thefrydayafternext posted this idea and I decided to take a shot at it! I hope you enjoy! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own THG or Legally Blonde.**

* * *

Madge Undersee never let anything get in the way of her dreams.

Everyone always thought that because her dad was the mayor, she got everything handed to her on a silver platter. Little did they know, that was not the case. Madge worked hard for everything she had. When she found out she had a knack for painting, she worked on her portfolio for a _year_ with no help at all.

Madge was currently attending a prestigious art school and for a while, everything was going perfect in her life. Her boyfriend of five years, Griffith Mellark, had just been accepted to Harvard law, and Madge had just moved in with her sorority sisters.

"I mean, he _has_ to propose right?" Delly said, focusing on the movement of her hand as she painted her toes. "Why else would he take you on such a fancy dinner date?"

Madge let out a sheepish grin. "Do you really think so?" she asked, sitting up straighter on her chair.

Delly nodded. "Of course!"

"Then you _have_ to help me find the perfect outfit!" she squealed.

* * *

Dinner was going exactly as Madge had planned.

Her outfit was perfect.

The food was delicious.

And Griffith looked absolutely gorgeous.

"You look beautiful, babe," Griffith said, grabbing Madge's hand from across the table.

Madge smiled, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks." She took a sip of water, wondering when Griffith would pop the question.

"So, as you know, I'm going off to Harvard in a few days," he said, stroking his thumb against her hand. "And you know how important this is to me."

Madge nodded in agreement. "Of course I do!"

"And now that I'm going off to law school, I've been thinking a lot about my future," he continued. Madge could feel her heart beating out of her chest. "So I think that it's time to..." he stopped stroking her hand. "I think it's time for us to break up."

Madge felt as if her heart had plummeted down to the floor. "What?" Her voice shook, and she pulled her hand away from his.

"Listen babe, I've had a good time with you these past four years but I mean, we won't work together in the long run. You know my older brother just got engaged with a _Vanderbilt_. How would I look if I kept going out with you?" he sent her an apologetic grin. "You understand, right Madgey?"

Tears began to pool in her eyes and Madge angrily wiped them away. "So because I'm not a _Vanderbilt_ I'm suddenly white trash? My dad is the _mayor_ , Griffith. My next door neighbor is Caesar Flickerman. I think that's a lot better than being a stupid _Vanderbilt_!"

"I don't know why you're so upset about this, babe," he said, looking warily at the people around them. The other diners had began to look over at their table to see what all the commotion was about.

"I thought you were going to PROPOSE!" she yelled out. "And we've been dating for _five_ years, _not_ four!" Madge stood up, and grabbed her purse before storming out of the restaurant.

* * *

Madge stayed in her room for four days.

She cried as she ripped apart every picture she had of Griffith, and she screamed at sappy romantic movies that came on TV. Finally, Annie Cresta knocked on the door.

"Madge, this isn't _healthy_!" she yelled from the other side of the door. "You've _got_ to come out sooner or later!"

Madge sniffled and threw out another kleenex box before opening up a new one.

"Okay that's it," another voice yelled out. Suddenly, Madge heard someone fiddling with her doorknob and jumped in surprise as her door swung open. Johanna stood by her doorway with a bobby pin in her hand. "I am sick and tired of hearing you moping around in your room all day. Sick. Of. It." she entered the room and turned off the TV. "You are going to get up, take a shower, and we are going to get you out of this house!"

Madge groaned, shoving a pillow against her face. "I don't want to!"

Johanna grabbed the pillow and threw it to the ground. "Listen Madge Undersee. Griffith Mellark is an asshole, alright? He doesn't deserve you crying over him and he is stupid for dumping you. So _what_ if he wants to find himself a Vanderbilt? You are a million times better than a stupid Vanderbilt hussy, and you probably have a better ass too." Johanna took a seat beside her. "So hell with him! I mean, if you wanted to be a dull boring lawyer, you could _totally_ do it. He doesn't know what he'll be missing."

Madge gasped and shot up off her bed. "That's it!" She began to pace around her room. "I'll become a lawyer!"

"What?" Johanna scoffed. "That's not what I was going with this..."

"No no no this is perfect! If I can show Griffith that I can be a lawyer, then he'll _have_ to take me back!" Madge walked back over to Johanna and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Madge pulled away and stared at the shattered frame on the ground. It was a picture of her and Griffith on their third anniversary. She picked it up, and smiled. "I'm going to become a lawyer."

* * *

After months of studying and prepping for the LSATS, Madge stared at the sealed test laying before her.

 _I can do this, I can do this_.

"Begin," the proctor's voice echoed across the room.

Madge tore open the seal and began the exam. In art school, Madge never really had to _study_ for exams, but as she scanned the test booklet, her heart soared as she recognized the topics.

 _Who knew this would be so easy?_ she thought to herself.

* * *

"Madge! It's here!" Delly screamed, running inside the house. "The scores are here!"

Madge ran down the stairs, jumping off the final step and snatched the letter out of Delly's hands. Her heart was beating rapidly inside her chest and she squeezed her eyes in a silent prayer.

"Remember, you need at least a 175," Delly said quietly.

"I know, I know!" Madge said, trying to calm her breathing. She felt Delly place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Open it for God's sakes," Johanna yelled out from the top of the stairs.

Madge let in a deep breath and tore open the envelope. She closed her eyes and unfolded the letter.

"What does it say?" Johanna asked, her voice unusually quiet.

Madge opened one eye and then the other. The letter fell out of her hands and she stared at Delly with wide eyes. "179!"

Delly screamed and pulled Madge into a tight hug. They spun around in circles, laughing and crying and a few seconds later, Johanna joined in as well.

"Looks like you're going to law school."

* * *

A/N: I needed something silly and fun to write. Part two will be up soon! :)


	8. Legally Blonde Pt 2

A/N: Part two of the Legally Blonde one-shot.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own THG or Legally Blonde.**

* * *

Madge drove into campus with her VW buggy and a moving truck following in behind her. She turned off her ignition and hopped out of the car, a wide grin forming on her face. Needless to say, the campus was beautiful. She took off her sunglasses and waved at the moving truck.

"Is this it?" the mover asked, sticking his head out of the truck window.

Madge nodded. "Yup! I'm over at this building!" She turned and pointed at the brick building to her right. "I'm on the fifth floor, room 5E."

She spun around, waving at the people passing by. She was here. She made it. As soon as Griffith sees her, he'd beg her to take him back. Madge's smile widened even more at the thought. She spotted the welcome table and made her way towards it.

"Hi, my name is Madge. Madge Undersee," she said to the person behind the desk. "I'm here to pick up my schedule."

The clerk looked at her, taking in her perfectly pristine outfit, and scoffed. He then looked through the files and pulled out her folder. "Here you go. Schedule's inside, along with the campus map and book list." He handed Madge the folder.

"Fantastic!" Madge said, opening up the folder and taking a look at the papers. "Um, question." The clerk raised a brow. "Has Griffith Mellark checked in yet?"

The clerk looked at his clipboard and back up at her. "No, but maybe you should check in with the cruise director at the lido deck." He stared at her with a bored expression and Madge felt her smile falter.

"All you had to say was yes or no," she huffed before making her way back to the movers.

"Hey miss! Where do you want us to put this?" the mover yelled. The other workers were holding her pink papasan chair.

Madge tucked the folder under her arm. "Ooh! My chair! Here let me show you."

* * *

Madge stared at her reflection and let out a nervous sigh.

It took her three hours last night to pick out the perfect outfit. She had to look intelligent yet cute. Sophisticated but not too prude. The outfit she had chosen was perfect.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she muttered to herself. She fumbled through her vanity drawer and pulled out her glasses. She put it on and took a last glance at herself. "Perfect! I totally look the part."

Madge collected her things and made her way to her first class. When she entered the building, she strode down the hall, ready to take on her very first class as a Harvard law student, but all her prior thoughts quickly went out the door as she saw Griffith Mellark standing at the end of the hall.

Madge straightened her back and held her head high as she walked right past him.

"Madge?"

The corner of her lips curved up into a smile and she turned around with a shocked expression. "Griffith? Wow, I totally forgot you go here!" She let out a light laugh and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

He stared at her with furrowed brows. "Uh...what are you talking about? I uh- are you here to see _me_?"

"No silly!" she giggled. "I go here."

"You go _where_?" he asked.

 _Griffith always did look super cute when he was confused,_ she thought to herself.

"Harvard! Law school?" she said, smiling up at him.

He scoffed. "You got into Harvard law?"

Madge raised a brow. "What, like it's hard?" She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, I'm running late for class, but let's meet up for lunch, yeah? Gosh, this is going to be _great_!" He continued to gape at her as she waved goodbye.

* * *

Her first class did _not_ go exactly as Madge had planned.

Not only was she unaware of the summer assignment, she got kicked out of class for it too. When the professor had asked _Glimmer Kensington_ if it was acceptable for Madge come to class unprepared, Madge sent her a hopeful smile. Everyone made mistakes and Madge had really thought that this _Kensington_ girl would be on her side. But when she opened her little pink mouth, she stared right at Madge and said, "No, I don't."

Madge found a bench and threw her bag on it before sitting down. She covered her head with her hands and let out a frustrated groan. She had never been so humiliated in her life.

 _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_ , she thought.

She lifted her head from her hands, closed her eyes, and let out a deep breath.

 _Inhale, Exhale...Inhale, Exhale...Inhale-_

"Excuse me?" a deep voice interrupted. "Are you okay?"

Madge opened her eyes and turned to the bench beside her's. The man was sitting with some papers on his lap, looking at her with a worried expression.

"Yeah," she mumbled. He raised a brow but attempted to turn his attention back at his papers. "It's just...do they always put you on the spot like that, like _all_ the time?"

The man looked back up at her. "Who? The professors?" He let out an airy laugh. "Yeah, they tend to do that...it's called the _socratic_ method."

Madge straightened up and fully faced him. "And they just kick you out if you don't know the answer?"

"Ah, so you have Stromwell, huh?" he asked, a smirk beginning to form on his face.

"Yes!" Madge exclaimed. "Did she do that to you too?"

"No," he said. "But she _did_ make me cry once. I mean, not during class, I waited until I got back to my room but...yeah, she'll kick you right in the balls." He blushed as he realized what he had just admitted. "I mean...or wherever...but yeah, she's tough."

Madge's shoulders deflated and she leaned back on the bench. "Oh _great_."

The man leaned towards her and pushed his papers off his lap. "No but it gets better! Who else do you have?"

Madge began to list all the professors she had, and one by one, the man began to tell her tips on how to do well in their class.

"Snow likes people who tend to speak up in his class," he explained. "And for Abernathy...I would try and find a seat in the back. He tends to spit when he talks, especially when he comes to class hungover."

"Okay," she muttered. A smile began to form on her face and she had completely forgotten about the humiliating experience she had gone through earlier. "You know, I'm really glad I met you," she said, smiling at him. He sent a shy smile back. "Are you a third year?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No actually-"

"Madge," a voice yelled across the courtyard. Griffith was walking towards her and Madge immediately straightened up in her seat.

"Griffith, hi!" she said, standing up. She quickly turned back to the man sitting on the bench, "Thanks for your help!" she said.

"Yeah, good luck," he said before shoving his papers into his bag.

Madge looked back up at Griffith with a wide grin.

"So...Madge...h-how was your first class?" he stammered out.

"Ugh, it was fine, except for this horrible preppy girl who tried to make me look bad in front of the professor, but it's no biggie. How was your summer?" she asked.

"Oh well...it was good-" A hand wrapped around Griffith's shoulder—a hand with a _huge_ diamond on it's finger. Griffith's eyes widened as he realized who it was. "Oh uh...I-hey!" He looked back and forth between the two. "Have you met Glimmer?"

Madge felt her smile falter and her heart began to pound rapidly inside her chest.

"Oh hi," the girl said, smirking at Madge. "Glimmer Kensington."

Madge looked back up at Griffith. "Do you know her?" she asked, her throat tightening up with every word.

"Yeah uh-"

"I'm his _fiance_ ," Glimmer interrupted.

Madge blinked and stared at the pair standing in front of her. She _had_ to be hallucinating. She and Griffith had only been broken up for _two months_. There was no _way_ Griffith would propose to another girl so soon.

But as Madge stared at the hefty diamond on Glimmer's finger, and took in Griffith's nervous posture, she was able to put two and two together. Oh how she wish she hadn't.

* * *

A/N: I'm having super fun writing this. And _yes_ , there are direct quotes from the movie, but how can I _not_ include such iconic lines? Anyway, I hope you guys liked this part as well! :) Xo, Shan


	9. When You're Gone

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

A/N: All stories are individual to themselves unless noted otherwise!

* * *

Gale's first thought when he entered his home was that a tornado must've flown through it.

He lifted a shirt on the ground before following the trail of clothes to the bottom of the stairs. That's when the trail of shoes began. He picked them up one by one and scanned the rest of the house. It was a disaster.

He reached their bedroom where the explosion of clothes must've began. Not only were her clothes on the ground, but his were too. Gale furrowed his brows as he picked up his clothes. He'd been gone for a week and he specifically remembered that their house was _spotless_ when he left.

"Madge?" he yelled out. Gale made his way back downstairs and gasped when he saw the kitchen. Boxes of takeout containers littered the counters and countless mugs were in the sink. Gale could hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room and slowly made his way towards it. A small laugh escaped his throat as he took in the site before him.

Madge was clad in one of his old college t-shirts and her penguin pajama pants. She was sitting upside down off the couch, her long blonde hair falling to the ground. She was munching on a bag of Cheetos as she aimlessly stared at some reality television show.

"Is this what you do when I'm gone?" he asked.

Madge turned to him, her eyes widening. She dropped the Cheeto in her hand and sat up. "Gale!" She hopped off the couch and ran towards him, leaping into his arms. "You're a day early!" She grabbed his face between her hands and crashed her lips against his.

Gale laughed as he tasted the Cheetos off her mouth. "Well don't you taste delicious," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. She grinned and wrapped her arms around him.

"I missed you," she muttered against his neck. Madge tightened her legs around his waist as he walked to the couch and sat down. "I was going to clean this up before you came back, I swear!" She bent down to pick up the bag of Cheetos that had fallen to the ground.

He laughed as she attempted to clean the mess of the couch. "Judging from the state of the kitchen, I'm guessing you've been living off of takeout and...coffee?"

Madge snuggled against him. "You know I'm not a good cook...and I can't sleep well when you're gone." She kissed him on the neck and he stroked her hair.

"I was only gone for a week," he said, pulling her tighter against him. "But I missed you too."

"I swear, I turn into a dog with separation anxiety whenever you leave," she sighed.

Gale laughed. "Makes me worried to leave you alone now." He looked around at the mess around him. "We should really clean this up."

Madge lifted her head from his chest and nodded her head. "Yeah, I know but..." she stared at him, a mischievous grin spreading on her face. "I know something we can do that's even _better_."

He grinned and leaned towards her, capturing her mouth into his. He could feel her fingers running through his hair as he placed his hand underneath her shirt. "Bedroom?" he gasped out.

Madge raised a brow. "I think right here would be perfectly fine."

Needless to say, they didn't clean the house that day.

* * *

A/N: quick drabble! Sorry for any mistakes! xo, shan


	10. The Best Thing

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

* * *

Madge first saw him at the grocery store.

He was ruggedly handsome and had a box of cereal in each hand. His brows were furrowed as he studied each box.

Madge stifled a laugh and slowly approached him.

"I personally like that one," she said, pointing at the one in his right hand. "It has less sugar and tastes better."

The boy looked up from the boxes and his eyes widened when he saw her. "Hm, really?"

Madge nodded.

He smiled and put the other box back on the shelf. "I guess this one's the winner," he said, throwing the box into his cart. "Thanks for the help."

Madge wanted to say more and she didn't know why. It was something about the way his eyes lit up when he finally chose which cereal he would get and the way he sent her a genuine smile that made her heart flutter. But before Madge stirred up the courage to introduce herself, the boy had already walked away.

* * *

She saw him again at school.

Now this just _couldn't_ be a coincidence, could it?

He was rushing out of the business building and the wind had blown away the papers he was holding. Madge stopped one that had flown in her direction with her foot and bent down to pick it up.

The boy jogged over to her with a grateful smile.

"Hey, thanks," he said, taking the paper from her. "Losing this would have done more bad than good."

He finally looked up at her and his eyes widened, just as it had done before at the grocery store. "Have we...met before?"

Madge nodded. "At the grocery store couple days ago...you were picking which cereal to get?"

The boy laughed. "Ah, right! Thanks for the recommendation by the way. It was absolutely delicious. We loved it."

Madge's smile faltered at the mention of "we". Was it his girlfriend? Of course he would have one, Madge reasoned. He's gorgeous _and_ nice.

"Well, anyway," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I've gotta go. I have someone picking me up and she _hates_ when I'm late."

With a final wave, the boy walked away, just as a car honked at him. A beautiful girl was in the driver's seat and the boy smiled when he saw her. He opened the door on the passenger's side and Madge was amazed by how his big body was able to fit into such a small car.

* * *

Third time's the charm, right?

Madge couldn't believe that she saw him _again_.

She had to at least find out what his name was.

The boy was sitting at the corner of her favorite coffee shop, a blueberry scone stuffed into his mouth as he typed away on his laptop. Madge laughed as she watched some crumbs spill onto his keyboard.

She ordered her usual and took a seat two tables down from him.

 _Do it. Just ask_.

Madge took in a deep breath and stood up from the table. She walked over to the boy and tapped him lightly on his shoulder.

The boy turned his head and he swallowed what was left of the scone. "Hey, you again," he said. "You know, I'm running into you a lot lately and I don't even know your name."

Madge let out a nervous laugh, relieved that he had mentioned it first. "It's Madge."

"Madge," he repeated. He reached over and held out his hand. "Well it's nice to finally know your name, Madge. I'm Gale."

Madge shook his hand and was surprised by how warm it was.

"Wanna take a seat?" he asked. "I won't bite."

She nodded and sat down. "So...what are you working on?"

The boy, Gale, groaned. "It's a paper for my econ class. I was busy last night so I had no time to work on it and it's due in," he glanced at his watch. "three hours."

"S-so...I guess I shouldn't bother you. Since you have your paper to do and everything," she said, clasping her hands together.

"No actually," he grinned. "I work better with company."

He looked back at his laptop and began to type away again.

* * *

Before Gale left the coffee shop, Madge finally asked him.

"Hey, Gale?"

The boy looked up from his bag and smiled.

"Do you...do you want to get coffee?" she asked. "I mean...not _now_. But...maybe later? When you don't have a paper to work on?"

The boy's smile faltered. "Um...I...I actually can't. Sorry Madge," he said.

Madge felt her face heat up. "N-no it's fine. I just...no yeah, it's fine." She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag. "I've got to goto class. It was nice seeing you."

She left before he could say goodbye.

* * *

She had never been so embarrassed in her life.

Madge was never one to be so direct towards boys, but something about Gale pulled her in. The way he smiled and was genuinely curious about what she had to say. He was _different_ from the other boys on campus.

Someone that amazing would _definitely_ have a girlfriend. Of _course_ he would say no.

Madge tried to even out her breathing and sat down on a nearby bench.

She wished a giant hole would form under her and swallow her up.

* * *

"Hey, Madge."

Madge looked up from the book she had been reading.

"Gale?" she whispered. The library was packed because of finals week and she hadn't seen Gale since the day at the coffee shop.

He pointed at the seat beside her and Madge moved her things so he could take a seat. "How are you? I haven't seen you lately."

Madge shrugged. "It's finals week."

Gale laughed. "You're right. This week sucked. I'm running on two hours of sleep."

Madge smiled and tried to focus on the book sitting on her lap, but all she could think about was the fact that his arm was touching hers.

"Hey so...about last time...when you asked me to get coffee with you? I'm sorry I had to say no," he said.

Madge sucked in a breath, not expecting him to bring it up. "N-no, it's okay. I mean, it would be weird if your girlfriend saw you with another girl anyway," she muttered.

Gale straightened up in his seat and his brows furrowed. "Girlfriend?"

Madge nodded.

"Where'd you get that idea?" he asked.

"I...Well, that time we met outside the business building. A girl picked you up..." she said, already realizing how childish she sounded. "And well, you were so quick to say no when I asked you out..."

Gale laughed and was immediately shushed by those sitting around them. He muttered a quick apology and suggested that they go outside and talk.

"Katniss, the girl you saw in the car? She's not my girlfriend," he reassured. "And well, the reason I said no...I didn't _want_ to say no. I would actually _love_ to get coffee with you, but I just _can't_."

Madge was still confused and he must've noticed. Gale rubbed the back of his neck and let out a breath before placing his hands on to her shoulders.

"Wanna go somewhere with me?"

* * *

Madge was sitting in Gale's truck, not knowing where they were headed.

I mean, he could be a murderer for all she knew. She did learn that many serial killers were handsome and charismatic. It's how they lured their victims.

Madge glanced over at Gale. He was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and hummed along with the radio.

He didn't _look_ like a serial killer.

The car came to an abrupt stop and Madge finally took in her surroundings. They weren't in the middle of the woods or some sketchy alleyway. Instead, they were in front of a small house.

"Um...who lives here?" she asked.

Gale took the keys out of the ignition. "I do." He noticed that Madge hadn't made a move to unbuckle her seatbelt and laughed. "I know this may seem weird, but trust me."

Madge slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Gale smiled as he walked over to the house, twirling his keys around his finger.

"Ma?" he yelled out.

"In the kitchen!" a voice rang.

Gale waved Madge over towards the kitchen. An older woman with dark hair sat in front of a high chair, trying to feed an unruly toddler.

"Is she still not eating?" Gale asked, placing his keys on the counter.

The woman shook her head. "She's stubborn—like you." She noticed Madge standing by the doorway. "And who's this?"

"Hi, I'm Madge," she greeted.

The woman smiled. "I never knew you had a girlfriend, Gale. And such a cute one at that."

Gale rolled her eyes and Madge could feel her face heating up. "I-I'm not..."

"She's not my girlfriend," Gale said. "Madge, this is my mom and this," he said, walking over to the baby. "Is Isabella."

Gale took the jar of food from his mother and took a seat beside the baby. "Hey little Bella. Wanna meet my friend? She's super pretty," he said, smiling as he turned to look at Madge.

Madge slowly walked over towards the baby.

"She won't bite, I promise," Gale laughed. "She only has two teeth."

At that, Madge laughed and took a seat beside him.

"So this is why I couldn't go out with you," Gale said. "She's been sick for the past week and she's just now getting a bit better."

Madge nodded, suddenly ashamed for thinking he was too busy with his girlfriend. "Is she...your sister?"

Gale smoothed down the baby's unruly hair. "Actually...she's my daughter."

Madge's eyes widened. Now that she looked at the baby, Madge noticed that she _did_ have an uncanny resemblance to Gale. She had his dark skin and grey eyes, along with his dark unruly hair and dimples.

"Y-your daughter?" she chocked out.

Gale let out a light chuckle. "Yup, my one and only." He scraped some food out of the jar and urged the baby to eat it. The baby's wide eyes stared at Madge but her small mouth opened up, accepting the spoonful of food. "Good job, Bella. Only a few more to go."

"I...I'm sorry," Madge finally said. "I thought you had a girlfriend and was so embarrassed with myself when in actuality you had...a daughter."

Gale put down the jar of food and rested a hand on Madge's shoulder. "It's nothing to be sorry about, Madge. I mean, if I were you, I wouldn't have thought I had a kid either." He glanced over at Bella who was playing with the spoon in her hand before facing Madge again. "It happened two years ago...my girlfriend at the time...she didn't want her, but I couldn't just let her give Bella away. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Bella threw the spoon across the floor and laughed.

"It's not nice to throw things, Bell," Gale said, reaching over to pick up the spoon. He placed it on the counter much to Bella's dismay.

"I know this might be...strange," Gale said. "But...I _do_ like you Madge. I was actually really glad that you asked me out...but, well. Bella keeps me busy, you know?"

"No, I understand," Madge's eyes widened as the baby began to cry. Gale took her out of the highchair and placed her onto his lap. "I know how hard it is to take care of a baby...my aunt just had one couple months ago."

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to go out with you because I do," Gale reassured. "If _you_ want to, that is."

Madge found herself nodding more quickly than she meant to and Gale laughed. "But...can you? I mean..the baby..."

Bella grabbed one of his fingers and began to nibble on it. "I'm sure nana won't mind spending the night with you, now will she?" he asked, placing a kiss on top of her head.

The baby laughed and reached out for Madge.

"Hey, she likes you," Gale noticed. "Do you...do you wanna hold her?"

Before Madge could answer, Gale had already placed Bella onto her lap. The baby ran a hand through Madge's hair. "She's beautiful," Madge muttered.

Gale clasped his hands together. "So how 'bout it?"

Madge looked up from the baby. "How about what?"

"A date," Gale exclaimed. "You and me. Tomorrow night, maybe?"

Madge smiled and nodded. "I would love that."

Gale's face broke out in a wide smile and he grabbed Bella off Madge's lap. He spun the baby around and laughed. "Did you hear that Bells? Daddy is going to go on a date with the pretty girl," he said. "Yes he is!"

The sound of Bella and Gale's laughter filled the small kitchen and soon enough, Madge found herself laughing along with them.

* * *

A/N: Sometimes, I need fluff. And sometimes, I need Gale-Being-A-Young-Dad fluff.


End file.
